Packaging

MWV Introduces Promina Style, the Newest Addition to the Promina Line Offers Improved Efficiencies and Brand Enhancements to MWV Premium Tobacco Boards

Wednesday 17. March 2010 - MeadWestvaco Corp. (NYSE: MWV), a global packaging solutions leader, today extended the Promina tobacco paperboard line with the introduction of Promina Style, one of MWV’s next generation solid bleached sulfate (SBS) tobacco boards intended for use in premium tobacco packaging. This super-premium, single ply SBS board is one of the brightest grades available - using optical brighteners and a controlled manufacturing process for ultra-white styling that is ideal for luxury and limited print coverage tobacco packaging.

After several years of development, the Promina family was officially launched in September 2009 as a successor to MWV’s previous market leading tobacco paperboard line, Printkote Tobacco. Since the introduction, MWV has been conducting extensive packaging qualification trials to ensure a smooth and efficient transition of all tobacco customers to Promina, which MWV expects complete conversion by the end of Q1 2010.
“The performance characteristics of the Promina line continue the legacy of Printkote Tobacco boards with unparalleled efficiencies on converting equipment and cigarette packing lines – but at a targeted 5-6 percent lower basis weight,” says Todd Walton, General Manager, MWV Tobacco Strategic Business Unit (SBU). “The printing, embossing and cutting characteristics of Promina paperboards makes it an ideal choice for tobacco companies looking to further enhance their premium brands and boost brand visibility.”
Promina Style, which has brighter styling than Promina, retains all of the performance, stiffness-to-weight and runnability advantages that Promina is known for – providing enhanced brand perception and operational efficiencies. The manufacturing process of the Promina line is enhanced to produce a sheet that is up to 40 percent cleaner than MWV’s previous high whiteness offerings. These board characteristics are particularly desirable for tobacco brands that do not completely print on the package with graphics and text, wishing to have the natural board color show through at point-of-purchase.
“Our long-standing commitment to the tobacco industry stretches as far back as the introduction of the hinge-lid box, a package we helped developed more than 50 years ago and is now the mainstay of the industry,” says Walton. “Throughout the decades, MWV has continued to invest and develop innovations that impact and evolve tobacco packaging on a global scale…Promina and Promina Style are examples of this type of innovation.”
The demand for sustainable products continues to grow. As a leader in sustainable packaging, MWV approaches the concept of sustainable packaging holistically, working with customers to provide solutions that address and optimize each phase of a packaging system’s lifecycle. With the introduction of Promina MWV provides the tobacco industry with new options for sustainable solutions, as the manufacturing of this new board can reduced energy consumption, CO2 emissions and water usage compared with MWV’s Printkote Tobacco grades.
For a given amount of production, Promina is expected to (vs. Printkote Tobacco):
§ Reduce overall energy consumption by 6 percent
§ Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 3 percent
§ Use less water to produce
MWV SFI and PEFC Fiber Chain of Custody certifications ensure traceability of original sources of all wood fiber used in tobacco paperboards, and that these sources are managed and harvested in compliance with all relevant laws and regulations.

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